Normally we’d wrap the manager’s quotes up with a bit of an opening and closing but, frankly, we can’t be arsed today.
Here’s most of what he said after the game today.
“There’s a lot of regret, we had given a lot. We showed great energy levels and a a great response. The spirit of the team was fantastic. Defensively we missed start of game. We gave easy goals away. We were not decisive in challenges. Once we were 3-0 down, we had a mountain to climb. We did climb, but a bit unlucky I must say.
I think we were a bit inexperienced at the back. We couldn’t play Laurent Koscielny and couldn’t play Nacho Monreal, altogether we were maybe a bit softer.
“What goes through the mind at half-time? Everybody is down so you have to pump the team up and make decisions to change what can be changed. It’s frustrating to see them lose. There were a lot of positives – defensively we were not strong enough.
“Anger doesn’t help the team to play well. The players know we missed the start of game. If you come here you have to be on the first ball and have to win the header. We missed the start of the game. We also missed players like Laurent Koscielny – he couldn’t play today.
“For Stoke, it’s their game of the year. They have more animosity against us than other teams. In the future, we have to be prepared for more commitment. We unlock them by winning challenges and showing it from the start.”
We’re not normally lost for words on this site, as regular readers will know, but ‘a lot of positives’?
Really?
[quote_box_center]NOTE: We do realise emotions are high and that’s understandable after the shite we saw today, but please try and make your points without abuse or name-calling. It only takes away from the point you’re making. Thanks.[/quote_box_center]
Why doesn’t he just tell things like it is, call his team out? Instead, his comments post-match are soft, just like his players. He doesn’t have the right winner mentality anymore, get him out.
He has finished 5 years ago, he used the stadium and all that rubbish as an excuse to make money for himself and the yanks who keeps dated out of touch with reality has been in the job. Shame on you Mr Wneger, if you have any dignity or pride left, WALK OUT, you are not the man to take us forward. Now look after two wins we will have all Arsene’s cult coming back to tell us he is the best manager in the world. I have been coming here for 5 years telling those cult Arsene’s apologist he… Read more »
no way we are changing anything until the end of the season. If we finish top 4 and maybe even sneak into the final eight of the CL, I’m afraid there will be no changes. Either way, we need the January transfer window to save this season. 1 or 2 CBs – especially considering how poor Per is playing and the fact we can’t rely on Kos – and of course a holding/defensive midfielder. Same things we needed at the beginning of the year sadly. If we don’t shape up, I can’t see Alexis hanging around too long with this… Read more »
If you think Arsene will buy in Jan window what we need then you have been living in a cave for the last 10 years. He will come with his usual “qualady” “Diaabby” and “free KK like signing”. He should stay until the end of the season, I agree with you in that but as YOU and I know he won’t have the pride or dignity to walk out and leave those easy fourth place trophy 8 million pound for two years behind. He is looking for a new TV job in any French TV to add to his income… Read more »
Furthermore, I have a suspicion that Ozil is on his way out, maybe at the end of this season. I hope NOT, though.
Still don’t really understand the WengerOut brigade. How can it possibly be his fault that our players just played shit today? And if anyone says ‘he needs to rotate’ – we literally don’t have anyone to rotate with right now because of all the injuries! I agree that some of the stuff he’s done has been frustrating (like not bringing in another defender), but he’s here, he’s working hard and he’s trying to get us to the top. The way some of you lot spout, its as if you reckon he’s actually trying to lose football matches. You can see… Read more »
Which part of he is has been passed his sell by date you don’t get???. I know it does hurt him, since that banner he is been looking ill, He wants to win, he loves the club I believe and get that. But, he is finished as a top manager, he is left behind in modern football as he refused to change like so many great mangers did in the past by refused to move on with time. Now, if he truly love the club he has to walk out at the end of the season as he will not… Read more »
You’ll miss him when he is gone. I bet my life on it.
Unfortunately, you can try to blame the players, but who buys the players? who had the chance to get a squad that is balanced? is it the players? we have blamed everything in this club but wenger, we’ve changed assistant managers, we’ve changed backroom, fitness coaches, castigated and chased away once good players (that the manager messed up) and what do you have. i became a fan of this club in 1999, and everthing has changed (Owner, stadium, CEO, players, logo, jerseys, everything, i’m sure even the tea ladies) only one thing hve we not tried, and its getting wenger… Read more »
Wenger should look terrible in the summer when he has failed to secure good players both quality and quantity. Honestly I don’t feel sorry for him anymore. Imagine the torture we have gone through over the years when we felt the team needed certain players but AW didn’t buy! How many arses will be unproductive this week simply because of AW’s recklessness?
People talk as if it’s that easy to just get a player. We spent 16 Mil to get a 19 year old playing second choice right back at Southampton. I scanned through the comments but found no one bringing up a name of a centre back we could have bought in the summer. I don’t think it was a coincidence that man u also came short at centre back after failing to sign vermaelen. Don’t blame everything on the manager.
Ding, I’ve said this a hundred effing times. Toby Alderweireld. Yes, the same guy who went off injured late against us. Did you know Southampton got him on LOAN? He may not have helped them get three points against us, but he’s surely helped them in 2-3 matches atleast. He started for belgium in the world cup most times, is 6’2 and a solid defender.
With due respect. In any organization. Leadership takes responsibility for success or failure. Wenger owns the team 110% and it is he who failed to strengthen the team. So why should we blame players. Bellerin and chambers are inexperienced. Injured players playing due to lack of depth. Imbalanced numbers with on 6 defenders in squad. Arsene is the capital problem. No more no less
Never thought I’d see the day here on arseblog when such a comment would receive so many thumb downs. Before clicking to see the comment, I thought it’ll be something really horrendous but no it wasn’t. I guess it’s truly a sign that everyone is fed up right now.
OK. I’m about to go on a rant. One of the things that annys me most about arsenal losing, other than the loss itself is the absolute lack of capacity by some fans to put things into perspective. We have always struggled at Stoke, it’s one of those fixtures, every team has one. We didn’t play as bad as some comments are suggesting, even in the first half. Stoke had a fantastic game plan. Bojan was electrifying and they had a guy kicking Sanchez as soon as he touched the ball. Their game plan was fantastic and it worked, it… Read more »
Fantastic gameplan? The orchs did what they always do and we did what we always do.
We weren’t as bad as some of us here are saying? Come on open You’r eyes. You can’t be that deluded.
No. If Stoke have a better game plan than us, and keep having a better game plan than us, then that’s a serious shortcoming. What we saw in this game was an Arsenal team that repeatedly fails to do the basic things right. For the Crouch’s goal, three defenders had to perform poorly. The cross was not cut out, Chambers completely missed a relatively simple header, and Bellerin slipped over. For Bojan’s goal, a similar story: cross comes in, no one tracks Bojan’s run. Walters’ goal: we concede the header and Walters is standing unmarked at the near post. Which… Read more »
Thanks, Butters. You make a lot of sense. Wenger bought two solid defenders, one of whom can play CB (though he had a poor game today). Yes, it would have been great to have gotten a world class DM, but who was that? Sanchez, Chambers, and Debuchy were all great buys. Wenger was not playing right back and letting those crosses in. He wasn’t in our six yard box missing defensive headers. He wasn’t up front hitting the post or heading the ball wide either. Our men were not playing well today, especially the back six in the first half.… Read more »
Charkavan: “Yes, it would have been great to have gotten a world class DM, but who was that?” William Carvalho, who we apparently wanted but wanted pay the asking fee? Morgan Schneiderlin? Maxime Gonalons? One of the Bender brothers? World class or not, they are considerably better than what we are currently fielding. Bear in mind Wenger has been looking for a DM for 2 years (Luis Gustavo, Bender) but decided that he’d rather take Flamini for free. See how that’s worked out. Damn, I’d take Alex Song back, he’s got his flaws but is better than what we have… Read more »
Worked out pretty well last season.
Don’t tell that your want of a new cdm isn’t coloring your view of flamini’s performances
Even Wanyama would be better! At one point he stated that he would use Chambers at DM!
Sad thing really is that every other team in the PL has a better DM than us… I mean Arteta and Flamini, really? Also, we have prodigious player out on loan, who could come back and help us (Coquellin anybody) but what Arsene did… let him stay there for an extra mont… Even Coq could be better DM alternative than the two we have… but Arsene is not willing to take risks anymore… Past are the days he was willing to put 17 years old players into the team and let them play…. maybe make mistakes, but play and get… Read more »
“Siting on the bench like an old broke man”… exactly what I’ve noticed over the years. And it’s the way players play on the field. Just like Wenger, they rarely show courage, ambition and desire (apart from a few such as Wilshere, Sanchez, Giroud…). It’s just sad, really
Ezekiel Gary was available and is a great CB prospect. Heck even Alex of Chelsea of old was available on a free and would’ve done a food job (he has so far for AC Milan). And those are just off my head, and I’m not a coach.
Don’t give us that bullocks because rich clubs who like to overspend on average players overspent on average defenders. Should we say there are no CMs out there available because United couldn’t find one?
Weak argument
Long term contracts for short term fixes. There’s a reason Wenger worked really hard to get rid of the deadwood the summer before last. It’s clear we’re looking to bring ìn the best talent we can now, even though it SUCKS the options we’re left with right now.
We don’t want another Podolski situation, a good player who worked really well briefly but no longer fits in our team and simply mostly bench warms.
it was his deadwood too. 50k a week to the likes of bendtner and denilson as part of his socialist wage structure is as offensive as it is stupid
Somebody has been hanging out with john.
If you think that Wenger will be signed by Barcelona/PSG/Madrid now, you’re utterly wrong. All those clubs have a director of football and Wenger never liked that. Total control = something top clubs don’t give their managers most times. For a reason. There are atleast 2-3 candidates that can take Wenger’s place. 1. Frank de Boer 2. Jurgenn Klopp. Unlike Wenger, Klopp has 2 players for every position. Not 18-20 year olds either. Tell me one thing. Rooney marks Arteta hard and clamps down on his passing. That was the blueprint united established in the first season Arteta was here.… Read more »
What positives?
I don’t think Wenger even believes in his own words. Players are probably not listening as well.
Well, in all fairness. If he goes out in press conference and say: “The team had a shocker”. Then my immediate reaction would be: who’s responsible for the players who starts at the field? Who are responsible for the players at the club? Who are responsible for tactics and motivate players? If Arsene Wenger shows no passion then I understand if some of the players relax.
There’s no way he can spin this one. Please don’t roll out some poor idiot to make the same tired“insert Player name here calls for more insert action here“ just get the fuck up and rip Gala apart.
I believe that, unfortunately, comments and statements like this have taken their toll on Arsene and the players are now being affected by it. It’s time for him to go now but not for what he has done to our magnificent club but rather what he has done for it.
Many heads will hand in shame over the fullness of time.
#hang
At least he didn’t pull a Mourinho and blame the ball boys and Newcastle fans for their defeat! That’s a new level of pathetic!
propose another managerial option or your complaints lead to nothing.
ild rather a new manage making mistakes the first time and learning than the same manager making the same mistakes for 10 years now and still not getting it
In recent weeks we have given away leads against Swansea and Anderlecht, we have lost suicidally to Man Utd and Stoke and yet Arsene sees positives. We have conceded 10 goals in those 4 games. There is no doubt that we are very poor defensively, Mertersaker is very slow and exposes all those around him and only Kosielny can cope with his lack of ability, and I know he has over 100 caps. Debussy is an unknown at Arsenal due to injury but Chambers is surely one for the future, although that might take 2-3 years. At left back Gibbs… Read more »
“In the future, we have to be prepared for more commitment”.
Is this the first time we have played stoke?
He doesnt do himself any favours. Sadly, i think it’s time he stepped aside.
In the future there will be robots
He is a broken man, it’s not the same AW who went toe to toe with Red Nose, the local Don for a long time and gave as much as he got!
How many fucking times the team comes out sleep walking into a game, be it one of the top sides or a team we are expected to beat or or nemesis!
Sorry wenger, your words mean nothing because you say the same crap after every game, maybe get real and admit you were at fault for once
And really, how was Wenger at fault for Chambers completely missing an easy headed clearance and Bellerin failing to mark someone at eighteen seconds? How was Wenger at fault for both Mertesacker and Chambers standing rooted to the spot watching Bojan waltz past them at 35 minutes? How was Wenger at fault for four players trying to head the same ball at 44 minutes, leaving two unmarked strikers to pick up the garbage? How was Wenger at fault for an absolutely useless cunt of a referee showing Chambers two yellow cards in succession for incidents that were barely even fouls,… Read more »
So, who picked the team?
I know who to blame.
because he bought them? because he trusted them to do their job as footballers that he refused to sign any backups to challenge them? because he’s the one who decide what kind of defense they play? because he’s the one who’s supposed to inspire them to play winning football? because he’s the one who’s supposed to get the tactics right? Look the math is simple, if the players are inept, the manager bought shit players and it’s his fault he put his trust in shit players. If the players are not shit, it’s the manager’s fault he fail to get… Read more »
If this was a one-off game, then maybe yes, we could say “just blame the players, not the manager”. But for how many years now have Arsenal had a reputation for calamitous defending? Our ability to concede ridiculous goals is something of a running joke. The players have changed – from Toure to Djourou to Vermaelen to Chambers and more – but the propensity for ridiculous defending has mostly been a constant. The common thread is the manager.
Wenger is to blame because he spent a lot of money on chambers and had no back up for kos who was injured before the season started so chambers has been thrown to the wolves. Maybe chambers isn’t as great as Wenger insists. Wenger is at fault because bellerinn is not ready to play but is playing because jenkinson was sent out on loan for some crazy reason. Right. Jenkinson is not world class but he’s better then bellerinn. Wenger is at fault because these are his players. And by the looks of things they are not good enough. Wenger… Read more »
His players his team
Yes the players made mistakes
But he is the reason they are playing
I’ll give you a nice example of another club deep in crisis. Dortmund. They won against Hoffenheim on Friday, but before that, no league wins for a while. Did he say they were unlucky but got a lot of positives? When they hit 18th (and yes, that’s how good the Bundesliga is as of recent) he said it’s his fault, because he is well aware that he is the one setting up the team to play. He is the one deciding tactics, so of course it’s Wenger’s fault in our case, too. And thank goodness the PL is quite poor… Read more »
So we won our last three games with clean sheets, and Wenger got all the plaudits for the “tactical changes”.
Yet when we lose, it’s always the player’s faults?
Well damn, no wonder he doesn’t want to leave. To get all the praise and never criticisms is every working man’s dream.
What tactical changes? You must be blind to say there were tactical changes. There were rotations(sanogo starting) and Ramsey was told to be deep-lying, which he was always supposed to be.
Maybe Bouldie should also go!
he should grow some balls and walk if hes not allowed to do anything, have some fucking pride man
You’re right that the players played badly and if this was a rare poor performance in a season of outstanding ones, I’d agree that Wenger wasn’t to blame. However, we have seen this kind of performance time and again. Why was Bojan allowed to waltz past them? Why did four players try to head the ball at once? Surely the training has got to have something to do with it? If they can’t defend someone needs to teach them, although I assume they must have a rough idea of how to do the job or why were they bought in… Read more »
How much did Fergie say post match after they lost?
I think Mr. Wenger is a bit alienated from reality.
@ arseblog: We’re all too numb to do much name-calling.
Post match quotes from the manager are always predictable., win, lose or draw. We didn’t learn anything new today. We’re fragile at the back, we don’t have adequate defensive cover, we lack a physical presence in the midfield and Charlie Adam is still a CUNT. Who knew?
FML
I saw a lot of positives too. Now I am positive we need a new manager.
Didn’t you just already know what AW was going to say post-match? The usual “we were not good defensively”, “we were mentally strong” “We were short in defence in because of injuries”
Well, why not buy a Centre Back and a midfielder to protect the back 4 then?
I can’t take this shit anymore.
We have 3 decent games, seem to be over the hill and on our way to build momentum and boom, we are 3-0 down after 45 minutes to Stoke. It’s always the same, nothing ever changes
Apparently, Arsenal fans kicking off with each other after the game, which is depressing.
I’ve defended him to the death in the past, but enough is enough.
Wenger out at the end of the season.
All his fault. As always, he trys to make do on the cheap. It’s frankly a losers way of doing things. Time to go old man and lie down in the grave you dug yourself
I will not lie, when that fourth goal went in I left to the room only to be called back cause the goal was offside. Was the first time I had ever stopped watching an Arsenal game. And I’ve sat through some pretty torrid stuff and finished the 90 minutes. But today? I couldn’t take it anymore. I wasn’t angry though, I was just numb to it as I had seen this all before too many times and I asked myself what’s the point of sitting through the rest of this match when the players couldn’t be arsed and were… Read more »
This is spot on what I was doing today. Exactly the same thing even the same thoughts! And I can bet that there are not only two of us doing just that…
I’m with y’all there. There have been a few games recently where I’ve just left it not because we’re losing, but because our performance is so awful. I’m a bit sad to ask, but can we lose a game without losing our dignity in the process? It’s degraded to the point you have to take the under on whether it’ll be more or less than 5 games before we throw the pie in our own faces. This is starting to make me feel like a masochist. Might be easier to go into a nuclear shelter and come out at the… Read more »
It really was fun, wasn’t it. But you are correct. It’s no longer fun. I no longer even get upset because I no longer expect us to win anymore. Same problems every season.
It’s going to like this in the comments after every single loss from here on in, right?
Yup.
Sadly, yes.
yea, every loss where we can’t be bored for long stretches. Stretches that last entire halves in this case.
It’s ok, in the future we’ll be more prepared to be committed. Because we didn’t know what to expect from Stoke, but we do now. So that’s ok.
Dear God…
Wenger and the fans need to realize that a good defender is a defender that defends well for a whole season. Putting in a fantastic performance for 5 matches a season and being poor for the rest means that the defender is just not good enough. Chambers and Bellerin are still very young and are great prospects however they should learn this from now. When you play for a club like Arsenal there are certain standards you must meet and performances like today are not acceptable. As for Mertesacker he’s been very poor this season and as much as we… Read more »
I am sick and tired of wenger’s excuses. It is a repeat every single time we lose, ‘great spirit’… WTF. Is this a sunday pub team or a professional football club..? Sometimes I questions his spirit and strive to win things.
“In the future, we have to be prepared for more commitment”
It’s always “in the future” . . . huh.
You have your highs and you have your lows but repeating same mistakes consistently is really painful.
It was f*****g stoke city !
For the millionth time – sign some fucking defenders. You’re supposed to be improving this team not making do with what’s OK. I’d almost rather come fifth than to lose to fucking Stoke again.
He talks about the defensive weaknesses. But he’s the one who set this team up to enter the season with defensive shortcoming in terms of the quality and numbers that it has. He and the players should know exactly how Stoke would and will approach the game, so the ‘surprise’ element is non-existent. There’s also the ‘wealth’ gap. He was and still is, ever willing to complain about how much more Chelsea/Utd/City have than Arsenal ; but the gap between us and Stoke is far, far greater than it ever was between us and Chelsea/City. Stoke have a new-ish stadium… Read more »
positives?….WTF! I am too upset right now so i just dont know what to say except that:- 1) I really thought we have turned a corner, given the results from our last three games and so was really expecting a good performance today, which made the loss even more painful 2) coming to this site is for me therapeutic in that it helps my post match anger and depression when i see other genuine fans suffering the way that i do when arsenal lose…..it does helps to know that “i am not alone” 3) i am now going to go… Read more »
Yup, me too. In my Guinness induced haze, I have found a positive. I can now sing at the top of my voice to those mugs down the Kings Road, “YOUR NOT INVINCIBLE, YOUR NOT INVINCIBLE, YOUR NOT INVINCIBLE, YOUR NOT INVINCIBLE!!”
🙂
I loved that result really did. Made my day. All the press fawning and crap. There’ll never be another invincibles like the Arsenal. Still got the T-shirt “you win some……you draw some.”
Coming to this site really is helpful as a fan. A few years back I toured Arsenal blogs and settled on this
one because, for the most part, it hasn’t been polarized to either side of the fanbase. Bloggs and his
mates have been honest and consistent where others prefer to stoke the flames
(hahahaha STOKE the flames I’m going crazy)
I’m actually afraid to look at what the vitriol is on some other blogs when 3 years ago they were already blowing a gasket.
Thanks for the space Mangan.
I don’t know how his apologists can defend him after today
hearing the bbc man interviewhim afterwards, ask the questions we want asking ffs
I love Arsene but he is becoming harder to defend. We started with 2 kids in defence this evening and it is not because there was a dodgy lasagne knocking about at the training ground but because he didn’t buy enough defenders. Our squad is too small. Fuck having a small close knit squad, it hasn’t worked. Spend some money and repay us for the exorbitant ticket prices.
Lot of commentators and football lovers around the world think it is time for Wenger to step down. Lot of the blame rest on players but Wenger just cannot get anything right anymore. I feel a bit for him because the man is not having fun at all. The best thing for everyone is that he leaves. But the players, what a bunch of bums ! Very young or experienced, all the same. Mertsacker is simply a bad defender. He is no better than Djourou or Senderos when they were with us.
Mertesacker is simply a bad defender? Now that’s just plain daft.
Agreed, to a point. Mertesacker is a good defender who just happened to have a bad day at the office, a very bad day indeed. Unfortunately, the unsettling trend is that nowadays Mertesacker only seems to be able to have good games when partnered with Koscielny. He really needs to up his game and get back to last year’s levels.
hes meant to be a leader and vice captain. the guys a disgrace. he should be making sure the players are ready to go and switched on. hes meant to be the leader on the pitch but we get fuck all from him
he wouldn’t get in city or chavs team
neither would arteta
neither are good enough
“The players know we missed the start of game” What the actual venereal FUCK is that supposed to mean?? How are you NOT switched on from the first whistle to the last? Why is this something that happens so goddamn often? Do the players even give a shit? Fuck your “positives” and your “team spirit” Arsene, they don’t get us the 3 points. Maybe try to instill some grit, blood and thunder into this spineless bunch of morons. The invincibles was a team with men, whereas this team reminds me of a bunch of pussies. Also, buy a fucking defender.… Read more »
The only positive to take from this day is that Mourinho also lost, which allways puts a smile on my face. But it only took 1 minute of watching the Arsenal game to wipe that smug smile off my face. We are bloody useless as per usual. Oh to be a Gooner..
I am so unbelievably fed up with Arsene Wenger and his fucking bollocks. He is a dinosaur. The tactics today was a disgrace and has been for quite a while. It is time for him to go now. He has said that he wants to bring happiness to the supporters. The only thing he is doing right now is giving us misery. I love the man for what he has achieved but he must fucking go now before most arsenal fans turn themselves against him.
We need a change NOW.
I couldn’t give a shit about chavski tbh, we’re in a whole shower of a shit storm
I cant for a minute think players aren’t looking at aw and his failure to buy properly and not think this guy has lost it. Most of us have played football and you know when someone is shit. What do our players think when they look at per?
Well you’ve maybe got two that have any ground to stand on in player performance, so I’m guessing they’re not thinking what you are. They also have a bit of respect for one another as professionals.
It’s over its over it’d oooooover as Roy orbison might say.
What wenger don’t know, won’t hurt him. *Diaby reveals an ass cheak tattoo*
Waterboy reference if you haven’t got a clue what I’m on about
BREAKING NEWS:
“Arsenal struggle against physical team. Inexperienced Arsenal defenders lack cover and are exposed on crosses and free kicks. Wenger’s failure to adequately strengthen defense causes Gunners to drop points.”
Feel free to go ahead and copy those sentences down to use later.
The only positive I can see that we haven’t lost by a bigger margin. We won’t win title again unless we invest seriously in defensive areas.
i dont know which the fk one is more positive, your brain or the ess of mine. get. real. demit. ffs.
I used to watch teams the likes of Stoke crumble, fall apart against Arsenal. They used to be torn apart, obliterated. reduced to rubble. Week after week… Mind you, this was some years back… Now, WBA, Hull, Stoke, that’s our level from now on?!? We will have non of that, and changes must be made!!! Sitting still never done any good to anybody!
The Team can be improved but Wenger seems unable to use their abilities. Time after time we get destroyed, seems lessons arent learned. There is no excuse to this performance, or other examples like last year’s defeats. Wenger is unwilling or incapable to deal with tactics. When your defence is so inexperienced and injured you have to adjust the rest of the team… Im very pessimistic about this team under wenger.
Whaever level of football you play at you have to first win the right to play win the battle.When you have players shitting out of tackles(first half) you have no chance.
I forgot the game was today and missed it. I think I’ve subconsciously decided to forget about arsenal for the time being. Can’t support anyone else. Just want to wake up when all this is over
My take on the game: 1.We wouldnt lose this game with Kos playing. 2. We need to sign a CB better than Mert in January. 3. Bellerin needs to be kept away from the 1st team for a while. He is not ready. 4. The pairing of Mert and Calum does not work. 5. Welbeck complements our other attacking players better than Giroud. 6. Everyone will have a go at the defence but we are not scoring enough goals also. 7. Injuries have hampered our season big time. A fit squad would win this game in a canter. Lets hope… Read more »
In hindsight we have weakened the defense more than we have strengthened the attack.
Its not that welbeck compliments our attackers better, its just that Giroud’s strengths were nullified by someone equally tall and strong in Shawcross. Put Giroud against less-imposing defenders and the same team will do wonders. Welbeck is fast and can run a big-strapping defender like shawcross ragged.
Encouraging 2nd half we should have been 4 nil down.
A bunch of talentless mugs tell us they’re going to beat us up and we roll over and let them.
I’m embarrassed for the players and the club.
Pathetic doesn’t cover it.
my son is ten! He plays for his local side, and he is ashamed of being a gooner! He said to me, why can’t they win! I’ve no answers!!
I keep asking myself how we can bclaim to be a big club and come with excuses for losing to FREAKING STOKE?!
Don’t care what anyone says…i blame wenger for this 100 percent.
He’s the one who refused to buy a cb and a dm.
I honestly don’t understand why he started giroud for this game. Why didn’t he start with both giroud and welbeck or better yet danny??
The regret is that he failed to secure a Cback in the summer.
We have feet of clay.
He should have been at very least able to have brought an experienced player in on loan short term.
This missing Cback has imbalanced us and cost us goals plus efficiency moving forward.
Worth noting as well all our 3 goals were from wide areas and most of our goals have been from crosses.
Says something about the centre halves and their familiarity.
Well that’s the most feeble effort I’ve seen since watching Peter Jackson’s ‘Meet the Feebles’. I always enjoy Arsene stating the completely obvious after such losses, which are becoming more frequent these days. Hopefully we can maintain a decent holding pattern, achieving little & losing few stars until he’s gone. I’m looking forward to either no players being signed in January with Arsene using the tried & true supermarket analogy or him hailing the signing Tyrone’s Minge when what we need is proper players of ‘top top quality’.
A team of cowards
Positives? Don’t think there is any after being beat by a shit house rotten leg breaking cunt team, with a shit shanty of a stadium! I’m not bitter one bit!
At half time guaranteed Hughes told stoke to not overdo it and concentrate more on defense. That’s why we caught up.
Wenger should not be protected at all. He is the manager of the team. If a player is not ready to battle for the badge at the front of the shirt, then he is not good enough for Arsenal. Even Alexis sanchez does not have a good game everytime but u can see he fights for the team like his life depends on it. Wenger makes the same mistake time and again. when we lose its always predictable how it will happen. That is a sign of weakness. Wenger refused to adopt to modern football, its a high time he… Read more »
I think some of us would benefit from stepping back and trying to view all of this turmoil with a bit of perspective. Admittedly, mine has been somewhat clouded by the fact that I do genuinely love Arsene Wenger. I will be open about this. I have been one of his most prominent defenders up until this point. My opinion hasn’t changed. I still believe the man is great, a great manager a passionate (and compassionate) human being, supremely intelligent and very respectful. I like the way he goes about his business (without resorting to petulant and snide Mourinho style… Read more »
I’m sure your saintly manager cringing on the sidelines is a massive inspiration to his team. He doesn’t even have the guts to stand up and be counted but sits writhing about with his head in his hands. This is a replay of end of season 2011/12 when he also refused to buy a desperately needed defender and we scraped into the top four after our players performed heroics for him. You can only do that for so long. Our senior players are exhausted mentally and physically because they’re never rotated and get no rest until they’re injured. Per has… Read more »
I agree wholeheartedly, but what would be the next move if he did go ahead and buy a great DM and CB on your advice alone? Then other frailties would eventually pop up. Injuries to three of our starting back four, followed by ugly defeats and late goal concessions to drop points… It will happen, because that is football. All of these ‘problems’ will continue to happen regardless of who manages, regardless of who is in the starting line up. That is football.. There are very few teams in history who look to have no weaknesses, are lucky with injuries… Read more »
It’s actually got to the point where I can’t back and defend Wenger anymore. I’ve spent a decade in doing so. Me & my Mrs both have busy careers and we don’t get to spend that much time together – how can I justify going to / watching games at the weekend anymore? It’s not even entertaining and I’m wasting precious / limited time I can spend with my family. There was a time when I’d juggle my weekend around an arsenal match, not anymore. I saw myself yesterday, huddled over a laptop on a Saturday afternoon watching an illegal… Read more »
My main problem is that Arsene knows what is lacking in the team yet chooses to do little. You can’t have pygmy stature midfield players playing combative teams in the premiership. Especially as they are not very good technically. And everyone knows how soft we are in defense and midfield it’s a miracle if any team allows us to play. Bring in a Diego simeoni type manager. Whose prowling on the sidelines will give the players a fright.
I will support Wenger through and through if he does the following:
1. Buy DM and CB
2. Short players should be assisted by taller, stronger and athletic ones.
3. Acknowledge that responding to opposition’s strength is a tactic
4. Allow Bouldie to shape defence especially against likes of Stoke.
Bottom line is fans are angry because he didn’t buy adequately more than his tactics.